Chase ends in car crash in St. Paul

A driver who refused to stop for airport police Sunday night continued into St. Paul and smashed into a car Sunday before leaving the road, hitting a utility pole and flipping the vehicle into a house on West Seventh Street, said Cmdr. Steve Frazer of the St. Paul Police Department. (Courtesy of Peter Matthews)

A driver who refused to stop for airport police Sunday night continued into St. Paul, where his car collided with another carrying an 8-month-old baby, then clipped a utility pole and crashed into a house. The suspect then ran off.

The baby was not injured in the hit-and-run accident.

The chain of events began about 8:30 p.m. when airport police attempted to pull over the vehicle near Minnesota highways 5 and 55 because the registered owner had a revoked license, said Patrick Hogan, a spokesman for the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. A GPS unit in the front windshield also appeared to be blocking the driver's view, he added.

The driver initially stopped, but sped off as the officer walked up. The pursuit went across the Mississippi River. When speeds reached 90 mph, the officer called off the chase, citing safety concerns, Hogan said.

When the driver didn't stop, the pursuit continued across the Mississippi River. When speeds reached 90 mph, the officer called off the chase, citing safety concerns, Hogan said.

Meanwhile, St. Paul officers were unaware of the fleeing driver until they received reports of a car crash near West Seventh Street and St. Paul Avenue. At that time, the fleeing driver had struck the car with a baby as a passenger.

The driver continued for about another block before leaving the road, hitting a utility pole and flipping the car into a house a half-block east of Madison Street on West Seventh Street, said Cmdr. Steve Frazer of St. Paul police.